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Duane and Susan Heisler
28355 W Drive North
Springport, MI 49284 |
| The farm is located west of Springport on W Drive North.
Duane and Susan Heisler, along with their sons, Steve and Ray, own and
manage this very modern dairy farm. Visitors can watch a cow being
milked, learn how milk gets from the farm to the market, and kids can
enter the "Name the Calf" contest. |
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 Celebrate Michigans agricultural diversity during the
Jackson County Family Farmfest, September 21, 2002 from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. This years dairy farm tour is being hosted by the
Heisler family at their Elder Creek Farm near Springport.
Elder Creek Farm is owned by Duane and Susan Heisler. Their
sons, Steve and Ray, are also involved in the family business,
helping to manage and operate the farm that is currently milking
approximately 200 Brown Swiss, Holstein, and Jersey cows. They
also farm about 400 acres, raising mainly corn and hay to
provide feed for the cows.
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 The farm was started in 1942 by Duanes parents. When Duane
graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in dairy
science, he returned to the family farm. Over the years, the
Heisler family and Elder Creek Farm became known as one of the
premier breeders of registered Brown Swiss cattle in Michigan.
With Steve and Ray finishing college and returning to the farm,
it became apparent that a change was needed. That change
occurred in 1997 when the milking herd was expanded from 60 to
200 cows. This expansion included the building of a new free
stall barn, state-of-the-art milking parlor, and manure pit; all
of which will be featured during the tour. |
 Dairying comes naturally to both sides of the family. Duane
and Susan met at the Michigan State Fair in Detroit where she
was showing her Jersey cow. Besides Steve and Ray, Duane and
Susan have a daughter, Amy, who lives in Phoenix where she works
in employee communications for Honeywell Aerospace. Ray is
married to Kathy, and they have 3 children: Danielle, 7,
Courtney, 6, and Amber, 2. |
 The family is very active in promoting the dairy industry
through their milk cooperative, Michigan Milk Producers
Association, as well as the Jackson County Dairy Promotion
Board. They also exhibit their Brown Swiss and Holsteins at
dairy cattle shows throughout the state and nation. The Jersey
cattle are owned by 4-H kids who show them at shows throughout
the state. |
 When asked what they would like to share with the public
during Farmfest, they responded that they want people to know
where milk comes from and how dairy cattle are raised to produce
that milk. In recent years there has been a lot of publicity
about dairy farms being "factories" where the cattle
are mistreated. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Yes,
dairy farms can be compared to factories, and like any factory a
product (milk) is produced. But the efficiency and operation of
that factory depends on how well it is managed and the upkeep of
its equipment. If the equipment is misused and not taken care
of, the factory will fail. The same applies to cattle on dairy
farms. The cattle must be well cared for and healthy in order to
produce milk so the farm can stay in business. |
 In todays economy, dairy farmers, including the
Heislers,
are working with a very narrow or non-existent profit margin.
Rising costs of production make it imperative that dairy farmers
stay abreast of industry news and technology so that they can
apply the latest advancements to increase their efficiency and
production. They also need to have a lot of knowledge, skills,
and dedication to stay in business. Oh, and a little bit of
cooperation from Mother Nature doesnt hurt either. |
 The Elder Creek Farm Tour will feature how dairy cattle are
raised from calf to milking cow. There will be exhibits
demonstrating what and how much a cow eats, and how much milk
cows produce. It will be milking time during the latter part of
the tour, so people can see how cows are milked in a
state-of-the-art parlor. They will also be able to see three
different breeds of dairy cattleBrown Swiss, Holstein, and
Jersey. There will be a "Name the Calf" contest where
kids can make suggestions for naming a newborn calf. |
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 Elder Creek Farm is located on W Drive North in Springport.
Take S Drive North (at the only stop sign in Springport and the
Junction of M99) west out of Springport to
29 Mile Road and turn right (north). Take 29 Mile Road
to W Drive North and turn left (west). The farm is located 1
mile down on the South side of the road.
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